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Petrol Price: Rep Lauds FG, Labour COMPROMISE
As Nigerians continue to weigh the pros and cons of deregulation in the aftermath of the six-day strike by organised labour and civil society groups, President Goodluck Jonathan has been commended over the reduction of the pump price of fuel from N141 to N97 while marketers that are yet to comply with the new price regime are enjoined to do so immediately to alleviate the pains of motorists and the suffering masses.
The commendation and appeal were made in Abuja by a member of the House of Representatives, representing Khana/Gokana federal constituency, Hon Maurice Pronen.
Reacting to the development in an interview with The Tide, Hon Pronen said, “The understanding between the president and labour that brought about the N97 per litre price regime is commendable. As far as I’m concerned, it’s a good concession by the federal government. Because as far as this subsidy issue is concerned, my heart goes with the populace that has to bear the pains but my mind goes along with the government for the subsidy removal”.
Pronen believed that the federal government is not out to inflict pains on the populace, saying that it is in the best interest of the nation to subsidize consumption.
According to him, “Looking at the situation now, it’s imperative to go the way we’re going – N97. Government is magnanimous to bring it down to N97.”
He noted that subsidy removal is a hard decision to make so successive administrations were afraid to make it so President Jonathan should be commended for his courage in making such a decision, because “if we don’t take decision, we’ll be compelled some day to suffer the effect of not taking this decision”.
He appealed to the masses not to do any thing untoward to sabotage the efforts of the government at putting lasting smiles on the faces of Nigerians as even the rich are also feeling the pains of deregulation.”Big men suffer it most economically…The measure of your pocket is equivalent to the measure of your expenses; the more that comes into your pocket , the more exit it has”, he said.
The House of Reps’ member however sympathised with those who have no source of income as to cope with the pains of deregulation, and urged labour to ‘start thinking ‘ about them in their struggle for a better society while urging all and sundry to be patient with the Belgore Committee in the course of their assignment on fuel subsidy, at the end of which , “we can fine-tune their outcome”.
Hon. Pronen however enjoined his constituents to continue to be law-abiding ”as we’re here in government to give them the best in government, they should be rest assured that it’s only their interest that we’re here to protect, believing that we’ll bring in dividends of democracy”.
Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has called on Nigerians to reject silence in the face of extrajudicial killings and other abuses of human rights.
Soyinka stressed that accountability and civic courage remain essential to rebuilding public confidence in the nation’s institutions.
He made the call during the 28th Wole Soyinka Lecture held in Port Harcourt, last Friday as part of activities marking his 92nd birthday.
The lecture, themed “Reclaiming the Nigerian State through Accountability, Justice and Civic Courage,” drew participants from different sectors of society.
The renowned playwright and human rights advocate said the country’s greatest tragedy was not only the unlawful killings carried out by state and non-state actors, but also the silence that often follows such incidents, allowing perpetrators to evade justice.
According to him, indifference by citizens to abuses of power and violations of fundamental human rights has contributed to the persistence of extrajudicial killings and other forms of injustice across the country.
Soyinka said he dedicated this year’s lecture to victims of unlawful killings, noting that the event was intended to honour individuals who had lost their lives as a result of failures within the justice system and society’s inability to protect the sanctity of human life.
He stressed that the lecture was dedicated to what he described as the basic unit of every society – the human being, and urged Nigerians to place greater value on human dignity irrespective of ethnicity, religion or social status.
The Nobel Laureate recalled several incidents of violence, including the fatal shooting and killing of a young man in Ugheli in Delta State by a police officer, and the mob killing of Deborah Yakubu in Sokoto State sometime ago, lamenting that many of those responsible are yet to face justice.
He expressed concern that some perpetrators of violent crimes had openly admitted their actions without fear of prosecution, describing such situations as evidence of serious failures within the nation’s justice system.
Soyinka maintained that when justice is delayed or denied, public confidence in state institutions continues to erode, thereby encouraging further violations of human rights.
Responding to critics who accuse him of promoting religious or ethnic divisions whenever he spoke on such issues, Soyinka dismissed the allegations and pointed out that his advocacy has always centred on the protection of human life and the rule of law.
He urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and continue demanding justice in cases of alleged extrajudicial killings, including the recent shooting of a young man by a police officer, stressing that every life deserves equal protection under the law.
The literary icon also recalled an earlier pledge by a past incoming president to make public the files relating to unresolved assassinations and extrajudicial killings, questioning the status of the promised investigations.
He challenged citizens to continue asking questions about unresolved cases, insisting that justice, accountability and respect for human dignity are indispensable to building a peaceful, democratic and inclusive Nigerian society.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has clarified that there was no fire at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, contrary to its earlier advisory.
Earlier yesterday, FAAN had announced that a fire incident had occurred at Terminal 2 of the nation’s busiest airport, and assured that its Aerodrome Rescue and Firefighting Service had been deployed to contain the situation.
There were also reports that activities were briefly disrupted at the airport yesterday after smoke was seen inside parts of the terminal.
Videos circulating online showed passengers kept standing outside the terminal while firefighters responded to the incident.
However, in an update issued less than two hours later by the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Henry Agbebire, and posted on FAAN’s official X handle, the authority said preliminary findings showed that the smoke seen at the terminal was caused by the discharge of the facility’s FM-200 fire suppression system.
“Further to our earlier advisory regarding the incident at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) wishes to provide the following update,” the statement read.
“Preliminary findings indicate that there was no fire at the terminal. The smoke observed within the affected area resulted from the discharge of the terminal’s FM-200 fire suppression system. The reason for the activation of the fire suppression system is currently being investigated,” FAAN stated.
The authority said normal operations had resumed at the terminal while investigations were ongoing to determine the cause of the incident.
“Normal operations have since resumed at the terminal, while detailed investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the incident,” the statement added.
The authority thanked passengers, airlines, airport users and other stakeholders for their understanding and cooperation.
FAAN appreciated the understanding and cooperation of passengers, airlines, airport users and all stakeholders, and reiterated its commitment to the safety and security of all airport operations.